Vets Prescribing Rules Changing - Jan 2024 – Omni pet ltd

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons plan to implement new changes to the way vets prescribe particular medications. We’re going to briefly touch on how this might affect you, as a dog guardian, and how it may change your experience when you next take your pup to the vet.

During the pandemic, vets had to resort to online and remote treatment- prescribing medications which usually required checks. These new changes have been introduced to encourage responsible use of medications, to minimize risk to our animals, the environment and to their guardians.

You will need a consultation and physical examination for anti-parasitic treatments

This is likely to be the biggest change for dog guardians.
Previously flea and worming treatment may have been dispensed at reception, as long as your dog had been checked and weighed recently. The new regulations state that pets must have a physical exam by a vet before medications can be dispensed, even if they have previously used that exact same medication before. If you want to change the type of parasite treatment (perhaps from a spot-on to a tablet), this will require a separate check too.

This is because anti parasite treatments, whilst important to protect both our pets and their guardians from parasites, contribute to contamination and damage of the environment and the natural ecosystem [1]. For this reason, prescriptions need to regulated and dispensed appropriately.

But not to worry! Your vet can still authorize a years worth of prescription after a physical examination (e.g. at the annual vaccination), either to be bought on the spot, or in installments, as long as this is discussed and noted in your medical records at the time.
Remember, there are still antiparasitic products that can be bought over the counter at supermarkets and pet shops without prescriptions- but we would generally advise veterinary products as they undergo more robust testing and can be more effective.

Antibiotics, antifungal and antiviral medications

If your pet has a condition that requires any of these medications, they will need to have a consultation and a physical examination with a vet first. This is because inappropriate or overuse of these drugs (just as in human medicine) pose the risk of developing more resistant bugs (e.g.MRSA) which can infect both animals and humans.

Controlled Drugs

These are stronger, more protected drugs including opioid pain relievers, phenobarbital, ketamine etc. If your dog requires any ‘Controlled Drugs’, again they will require a consultation and physical examination with your vet. Controlled Drugs are usually dispensed for 28 days at a time.

Further prescriptions for the same drug, at the same dosage and frequency and be re-dispensed if deemed appropriate by your vet.

Mutual Clients

If your pets are under the care of more than 1 practice (e.g. you have a clinic you visit when you visit your family elsewhere in the UK), then you should notify both clinics. These clinics should be in communication with each other so that they are up to date with your pet’s full medical history, to ensure they can treat your pet to the best of their abilities.

For more details and the full update, please see the RCVS website.

Any confusions or concerns at all – as always our Vet team are on hand to help, and subscribers to Omni are entitled to unlimited online consults.

[1] https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/news-article/british-veterinary-association-responds-to-new-research-on-the-environmental-impact-of-small-animal-parasite-treatments/

Click Here To Try Omni Vet Formulated Food & Treats

See our full range of products here.

FAQs

But aren’t dog’s carnivores?

Dogs are in fact nutritional omnivores as demonstrated by a robust scientific study published in the reputable journal Nature (1,2) in which it was shown that they have 30 copies of the AMY2B gene responsible for digesting plant-based foods.

They have also evolved relatively long intestines (21) (almost as long as humans) and relatively flat surfaces on their molars (31, 22) which they use for digesting and chewing a whole range of foods.

The common misconception that dogs are carnivores probably arises from the fact that they are classified in the order Carnivora but so are plenty of other species like bears, skunks, racoons who are omnivores and even the giant panda who thrives on a plant-based diet (20).

Is plant protein digestible to dogs?

Absolutely yes, studies which have looked at how much protein dogs can absorb from plant-based and fungi-based foods like soya and yeast demonstrated over 75% digestibility which is on par with meat-based foods (23, 24, 34, 35 & 25).

Both these protein sources also contain all 10 essential amino acids (36, 37) that dogs need to thrive.

Isn't there too much fibre in plant-based food?

The average amount of fibre in a commercial dog food diet is between 2-4%. omni’s plant-powered recipe has a fibre content of 3% which is on par with meat- based diets.

In our survey with over 200 dog owners, 100% reported that their dog’s stool consistency was either ‘normal’ or ‘perfect’ and there were no reports of any digestive upsets (data on file).

Can I mix omni with other meat-based diets?

We are proud that our recipes are nutritionally complete and so include everything your dog needs to thrive. This means omni can be fed as a sole ration. We also fully support a 'flexitarian approach' like meat free lunches or using omni as a mixer.

Every little helps to bring some of the health and environmental benefits of plant-power to meal times. Mixing omni with meat/fish will help to add variety into your dog’s diet whilst adding in healthy ingredients with a relatively low carbon footprint.

Can plant-based food provide the essential fatty acids dogs need?

All the essential fats and oils that dogs need, including omegas 3 and 6 are found in a variety of both meat and plant-based foods (31, 28).

omni’s recipe is rich in plant-based sources of these nutrients so your dog will get all the essentials they need.

I hear a lot about feeding raw meat, isn’t that better?

Feeding raw meat to dogs has become a very popular trend in recent years, but most vets will warn against this practise. This is because the cooking process is vital to help kill off dangerous bacteria like E coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter (9) that have necessitated several food recalls from the market and caused serious illness and even death in both dogs and their owners (40, 41, & 42).

There are also several worms and parasites that are only killed off when raw meat is cooked. Dogs are dogs, not wolves and thanks to their domestication over thousands of years, thankfully don’t need to hunt to get their grub nor do they need to eat raw meat, it's just not worth the risk.

References

1. Buff P.R., Carter R.A., Bauer J.E., Kersey J.N. (2014) Natural pet food: A review of natural diets and their impact on canine and feline physiology. J. Anim. Sci.;92:3781–3791. doi: 10.2527/jas.2014-7789

2. Axelsson E., Ratnakumar A., Arendt M.L., Maqbool K., Webster M.T., Perloski M., Liberg O., Arnemo J.M., Hedhammar A., Lindblad-Toh K. (2013) The genomic signature of dog domestication reveals adaptation to a starch-rich diet. Nature; 495:360–364. doi: 10.1038/nature11837

3. The European Pet Food Industry (FEDIAF) Nutrition [ Accessed on 3 June 2021] Available online: http://www.fediaf.org/self-regulation/nutrition/

4. Gentle World Good Nutrition for Healthy Vegan Dogs [Accessed on 3 June 2021] Available online: http://www.webcitation.org/6ineIZmNQ

5. Peden J. (1999) Vegetarian Cats & Dogs. 3rd ed. Harbingers of a New Age; Troy, MT, USA

6. Semp P.-G. (2014) Master’s Thesis. Veterinary University of Vienna; Vienna, Austria: Vegan Nutrition of Dogs and Cats

7. Brown W.Y., Vanselow B.A., Redman A.J., Pluske J.R. (2009) An experimental meat-free diet maintained haematological characteristics in sprint-racing sled dogs. Br. J. Nutr.;102:1318–1323. doi: 10.1017/S0007114509389254

8. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Dog Health Survey. [Accessed on 3 June 2021]

9. Marks S.L., Rankin S.C., Byrne B.A., Weese J.S. (2011) Enteropathogenic bacteria in dogs and cats: Diagnosis, epidemology, treatment, and control. J. Vet. Intern. Med.;25:1195–1208. doi:

10. Carrión P.A., Thompson L.J., Motarjemi Y., Lelieveld H., (2014) Food Safety Management: A Practical Guide for the Food Industry. Academic Press; London, UK:. pp. 379–395

11. Knight, A. and Leitsberger, M. (2016) Vegetarian versus meat-based diets for companion animals. Animals 6, 57.

12. Boyer C.I., Jr., Andrews E.J., deLahunta A., Bache C.A., Gutenman W.H., Lisk D.J. (1978) Accumulation of mercury and selenium in tissues of kittens fed commercial cat food. Cornell Vet.;68:365–374.

13. Anonymous. Your Pet’s Dog Food Could Be Dangerous. [Accessed on 8 December 2014] Available online: http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=1018127&nav=23iiCT4S.

14. Porecca K. (1995) Personal letter to James Peden re: Interview of University of California (Davis), North Carolina State University, and University of Guelph Researchers investigating the connection between dilated cardiomyopathy and diet

15. Perry T. What’s Really for Dinner? [Accessed on 7 July 2016] Available online: http://www.webcitation.org/6ipEL5YVR.

16. https://www.bordercolliefanclub.com/bramble-the-vegan-dog-lives-to-189-years/

17. https://aminoapps.com/c/vegan/page/blog/vegan-dog-lives-to-27-years-of-age/N4ai_MuaRE5qNoYVN1DN85ap0GVjz3j

18. https://v-dog.com/blogs/v-dog-blog/vegan-diets-for-dogs-what-about-longevity

19. https://www.fediaf.org/39-prepared-pet-foods/80-understanding-labels.html

20. https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/07/vegan-dogs-a-healthy-lifestyle-or-going-against-nature/

21. https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/7-interesting-facts-about-your-dogs-digestive-system

22. http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/pregastric/dogpage.html

23. Félix AP, Zanatta CP, Brito CB, et al. (2013) Digestibility and metabolizable energy of raw soybeans manufactured with different processing treatments and fed to adult dogs and puppies. J Anim Sci;91:2794–2801.

24. Carciofi A, de-Oliviera L, Valério A, et al. (2009) Comparison of micronized whole soybeans to common protein sources in dry dog and cat diets. Anim Feed Sci Technol;151:251–260.

25. Yamka R, Kitts S, Harmon D. (2005) Evaluation of low-oligosaccharide and low-oligosaccharide low-phytate whole soya beans in canine foods. Anim Feed Sci Technol;120:79–91.

26. Hill D. (2004) Alternative proteins in companion animal nutrition, in Proceedings. Pet Food Assoc Canada Fall Conf;1–12

28. Hazewinkel HA, Tryfonidou MA. (2002) Vitamin D3 metabolism in dogs. Mol Cell Endocrinol;197:23–33.
Boland R, Skliar M, Curino A, et al. (2003) Vitamin D compounds in plants. Plant Sci;164:357–369.

29. Jäpelt RB, Jakobsen J. (2013) Vitamin D in plants: a review of occurrence, analysis, and biosynthesis. Front Plant Sci;4:136

30. Knight, A. and Leitsberger, M. (2016). Vegetarian versus meat-based diets for companion animals. Animals 6, 57.

31. Dodd SAS, Adolphe JL, Verbrugghe A. (2018) Plant-based diets for dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. Dec 1;253(11):1425-1432. doi: 10.2460/javma.253.11.1425. PMID: 30451617.

32. https://www.petmd.com/dog/wellness/evr_dg_how_long_do_dogs_live [Accessed 2 June 2021]

33. https://www.utep.edu/leb/pleistnm/stuff/stuff2.htm [Accessed 2 June 2021]

34. M S Martins, N K Sakomura, D F Souza, F O R Filho, M O S Gomes, R S Vasconcellos, A C Carciofi (2014) Brewer’s yeast and sugarcane yeast as protein sources for dogs, J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2014 Oct;98(5):948-57. doi: 10.1111/jpn.12145.

35. Christina Golder, James L Weemhoff, Dennis E Jewell (2020) Cats Have Increased Protein Digestibility as Compared to Dogs and Improve Their Ability to Absorb Protein as Dietary Protein Intake Shifts from Animal to Plant Sources 24;10(3):541. doi: 10.3390/ani10030541.

36. Henkel J. (2000) Soy. Health claims for soy protein, questions about other components. FDA Consum ;34(3):13–15,18–20.

37. Yalçin, Sakine & Erol, H & Özsoy, Bülent & Onbaşılar, I. (2008) Effects of the usage of dried brewing yeast in the diets on the performance, egg traits and blood parameters in quails. Animal : an international journal of animal bioscience. 2. 1780-5. 10.1017/S1751731108003170.

38. Rosser EJ (1993) Diagnosis of food allergy in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association; 203(2):259-262.

39. Mueller RS, Olivry T, Prélaud P. (2016) Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals: common food allergen sources in dogs and cats. BMC Vet Res.12:9. Published 2016 Jan 12. doi:10.1186/s12917-016-0633-8

40. https://www.kentlive.news/whats-on/shopping/salmonella-fears-spark-urgent-recall-4328262

41. https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-31-2020

42. L. Martinez-Anton, M. Marenda, S.M. Firestone, R.N. Bushell, G. Child, A.I. Hamilton, S.N. Long, M.A.R. Le Chevoir (2018) Investigation of the Role of Campylobacter Infection in Suspected Acute Polyradiculoneuritis in Dog

43. https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/10/four-stec-infections-one-person-dead-after-exposure-to-raw-pet-food/

44. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jan/12/scientists-criticise-trend-for-raw-meat-pet-food-after-analysis-finds-pathogens

45. https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2015/10/26/processed-meat-and-cancer-what-you-need-to-know/

46. D.F. Merlo, L. Rossi, C. Pellegrino, M. Ceppi, U. Cardellino, C. Capurro, A. Ratto, P.L. Sambucco, V. Sestito, G. Tanara, V. Bocchini (2008) Cancer Incidence in Pet Dogs: Findings of the Animal Tumor Registry of Genoa, Italy
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2008.0133.x , journal of veterinary internal medicine

47. https://www.pfma.org.uk/_assets/docs/White%20Papers/PFMA-Obesity-Report-2019.pdf

48. https://www.pfma.org.uk/grain-free-factsheet

49. https://fediaf.org/images/FEDIAF_Nutritional_Guidelines_2020_20200917.pdf

50. https://www.ksvdl.org/resources/documents/dcm-forum/Confidential-Abstract-for-release-October-14-2020-Final.pdf

51. https://www.ksvdl.org/resources/documents/dcm-forum/DCM-Forum-SolomonOpening-Remarks.pdf

52. https://stpetersbark.com/finally-theres-no-evidence-linking-grain-free-diets-and-non-hereditary-heart-conditions-in-dogs/

53. Okin GS (2017) Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats. PLoS ONE 12(8): e0181301. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0181301

See more questions

Your cart